Brie Keatley
It’s been almost a year since I last reviewed a children’s show… This is far too long for me to wait. Good thing the show I’m reviewing is the brilliant Horse with No Name’s Trees, Bees and Me (written by Ryan Cundy and Catriona Tipene, Tipene also directed.) The delightful show follows Mimi (Salomè Neely) and Poppa (Tadhg Mackay) as they adventure through their backyard in order to defeat the dastardly Litterbug (Ryan Cundy) and his sidekick Binny (Gabby Clark).
As soon as I walk into Circa Two I am absolutely blown away at how kitted out the set is. It has everything and the garden shed… Literally. This was achieved thanks to the set designers Brendan West and James Searle along with the dressing provided by Loretta Knights. I particularly loved how lived in the set felt, I am big fan of maximalism when it comes to dressing and Knights seems to be in the same camp as me. The costumes are also amazing, designed and created by Victoria Gridley. The recurring honeycomb design on almost every costume adds such a beautiful connection between the characters while the colours each beautifully blend so well together. I always know a show costumed by Gridley is bound to be a feast for the eyes - and this show is no different. The music (written by Ben Kelly and sound designed by Isabel Pecora) adds a wonderful undertone and never outstays it’s welcome or is too overwhelming. Overall, the design of this show works harmoniously together to create one of the best children’s show experiences I’ve had at Circa.
The most captivating part of this entire production is the fact the main story is a game being played in the garden by Mimi and her Poppa with the Litterbug and Binny being played by Mimi’s Dad, Charlie, and brother, Trey. This ‘play within a play’ allows for some hilarious breaking of reality. Most notably being the several times in which Trey struggles to get down from the rubbish bin and Charlie has to help him down. Each time this happens, even though I knew it was going to happen, I still found myself giggling. This is a testament to the acting of Cundy and Clark who I would say made the show for me, particularly Cundy’s enchantingly naughty portrayal of the Litterbug (who is redeemed at the end don’t you worry!) I did also very much enjoy the stubborn and adventurous energy Neely brought to Mimi and I truly believed at points that Mackay was the same age as the character of Poppa. Of note is also the lovely Tipene who pulls double duty with directing and occasionally swinging in as the engaging and Shakespearian Nan/Queen Bee.
One thing about children’s theatre I often have a problem with is how it often talks down to the young audience it is created for. Often messages are very obviously shoved in the face of the young ones, thankfully I cannot say this about Trees, Bees and Me. Not only is there a strong message about keeping our whenua clean but also about the importance of whānau. There are some genuinely touching scenes involving Mimi and her Poppa regarding the loss of her Mother and these scenes are given the breathing space needed in order for all members of the audience to sit in those thoughts. It is refreshing, and comforting, to see the littles in the audience being treated as intelligent theatre goers and so I give my flowers to the entire team at Horse with No Name. From one children’s theatre fan to another - please keep going, Wellington needs you!
Trees, Bees and Me is on at Circa Theatre from the 28th of September to the 12th of October with an NZSL performance on the 12th of October at 10 am. You can buy tickets here.
Disclaimer: Tadhg is a reviewer with Art Murmurs and I have worked with a few members of this production before. I have attempted to remain objective with my review but please feel free to leave a comment or email [email protected] if you feel otherwise.